Round the Yule Log/The Box with the Funny Thing in it

by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Engebretsen Moe

THE BOX WITH THE FUNNY THING IN IT.

Once upon a time there was a little boy, who was walking along a road. When he had gone some distance he found a box. "There must be something funny in that box," he said to himself; but although he twisted and turned it he was not able to get it open. When he had walked some distance farther he found a little key. He was tired, and sat down by the roadside. He thought it would be great fun to see if the key fitted the box, for there was a little keyhole in it. He took the little key out of his pocket; he blew first into the pipe of the key, and then he blew into the keyhole ; he put the key into the keyhole and turned it round. "Click," said the lock, and when he tried the lid the box was open. But can you guess what there was in the box? Why, it was a calf's tail, and if the calf's tail had been longer this tale would have been longer too.